When it comes to modern times as martial arts adapted to the changes of the times, it has gradually become an integral part of modern physical education. During the Republic of China period (1912-1949), martial arts was introduced into schools as a means of education to enhance the national power and physical strength and was listed as formal curricula. In some sports events, martial arts was also listed as an event. In the civil sector, there emerged many martial arts organizations like boxing communities, warrior societies and others, of which the two most influential martial arts organizations were the Jingwu Athletic Association, founded by Huo Yuanjia in 1910, and the Central Guoshu Academy established in Nanjing by Zhang Zhijiang in 1927. The Chinese Martial Arts Tournament was held in 1923 in Shanghai. In 1936, the Chinese Martial Arts Team was invited to demonstrate their art at the Berlin Olympics.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, as an extraordinary item of national cultural legacy, martial arts secured inheritance and further development. The state not only established martial arts as a special major in advanced normal universities and physical education institutes, but also organized professional personnel to widely absorb the strong points of various schools and work out the simplified version of Tai Chi Quan, intermediate Chang Quan, preliminary Chang Quan as well as weapon drill patterns on the basis of traditional martial arts. Martial arts was first listed as an official competition category in 1957. When the Chinese Martial Arts Association was founded in 1958, such provisions as the Martial Arts Competition Rules, Standard Technical Grades for Martial Arts Athletes, Designated Drill Patterns in Competition, Chinese Martial Arts Ranking System and others were successively formulated and promulgated. In 2009, the General Administration of Sport defined the concept of martial arts as a traditional physical training which features Chinese culture as its theoretical basis, encompasses fighting skills as its basic contents, and adopts drill patterns, fist fighting and exercise techniques as its primary form of exercises. Chinese martial arts has had a long history dating back to antiquity, and through the process of its development and practice over time, it has formed unique national styles and features. As a national art and cultural treasure, martial arts has been deeply loved by Chinese people and well-accepted by international friends.